out the country participate in these two programs. This provides a meas- 

 ure of the effectiveness of the techniques and methods as used in each lah- 

 oratory- 



Collaborative work endeavoring to improve the methods of analysis 

 for nitrogen in fertilizers, as a part of the program of the Association of 

 Official Agricultural Chemists, has been continued during the year. 



Inquiries received from residents of the State concerning the analyses 

 of silages, feeds, and fertilizers have been answered as received. In many 

 cases such inquiries can be answered without analytical work. In 10 cases 

 analytical work was done and results reported. 



H. A. Davis 



Soil Testing — 1952-1953 



During the last fiscal year, residents of the State have submitted 1.696 

 soil samples for analysis for available nutrients and pH value. This work 

 entailed 11,872 individual determinations. Eighteen peat and muck samples 

 tliat were submitted for identification and for possible commercial use 

 were analyzed for moisture and organic-matter content and pH value. 



G. P. Percival 



Seed Inspection 



The regular seed inspection work for the State Department of Agri- 

 culture was conducted. During the year 2.077 samples were handled in 

 the laboratory. Of this number. 715 samples were collected 1\\- the State 

 inspectors and the results of the tests will be reported in Station Bulletin 

 404 ; 1 ,362 samples were sent in by seed dealers in compliance with the 

 clause in the New Hampshire seed law which requires that all vegetable 

 and agricultural seed must have been tested for germination within nine 

 months of being offered for sale. A few of these samples were sent in by 

 farmers who had grown beans, squash, muskmelon. or rye and wished to 

 sell them for seed. 



General referee testing has been conducted on samples sent from a 

 central source to all official seed testing laboratories, while regional referee 

 samples were sent out again this year from our laboratory to the 13 official 

 laboratories in the northeast. Referee samples are sent out as a link between 

 the different laboratories in the country ^— sometimes to compare the 

 interpretations of the cooperating laboratories, sometimes to obtain a large 

 number of figures from which to arrive at standards for various seeds, 

 and sometimes to gain the l^enefit of having many laboratories work on a 

 new problem such as the germination of pelleted seed or the handling of 

 treated seed. 



Bessie G. Saxborn 



Diagnostic Service Performed at the Poultry Laboratory 



A total of 5.164 specimens of all kinds were submitted to the Poultry 

 Laboratory for diagnosis. These represented 2.002 cases. 



A total of 4.581 chicken specimens. 177 turkeys, and 32 miscellaneous 

 birds were examined. Fifty cases, consisting of 16 specimens from various 

 animals, were also handled by laboratory personnel. There were 314 cases 

 of blood samples submitted for immunity tests. 



F. E. Allen, A. C. Corbett. W. R. Duxlop 



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